Many people now consume books and other content items electronically. Electronic books (“ebooks”) in particular can be read using a variety of reading devices, such as dedicated reading devices and general-purpose computing devices. Each device includes reading software (an “ereader”) that displays an ebook to a user and enables the user to read the ebook and perform other tasks.
Oftentimes people read ebooks as part of a social experience. For example, a reader might belong to a book club in which a group of people read and discuss the ebook together. The people can meet in person or via electronic forums.
However, a reader may have difficulty managing the online social reading experience for an ebook. Different people participating in an electronic forum may have different knowledge of the ebook. A reader may therefore instigate a discussion of an important plot point that another reader has not yet encountered. As a result, a person who participates in an electronic forum while reading an ebook risks having details such as important plot points spoiled by contributions from other readers. The social reading experience may therefore detract from the reader's enjoyment of the ebook.